Titleist TSR4 Driver Review

The Titleist TSR4 Driver is the lowest-spin, smallest-head driver in Titleist’s TSR line, a compact 430cc all-titanium head for better players who fight spin. I was fit into it at a Titleist fitting after testing every TSR head, and it beat every other TSR head I hit on speed, spin, length and dispersion. Over 5 rounds I got piercing drives that hung in the air and rolled out.

I also tested it at the range and in the IGR Office on our Carl’s Place DIY simulator. My numbers came from a FlightScope Xi Tour launch monitor.

Why the fitting mattered

I have preached “get fit” for as long as IGR has reviewed clubs. Everyone swings differently and no single driver fits everyone, so my specs won’t fit you unless your swing speed and launch numbers match mine. Titleist offers fittings at local courses so you can get dialed in to the right head and shaft.

I wasn’t sure the TSR4 wouldn’t be too much club for me. My driver swing had lost its way, so I expected the more forgiving TSR2 to end up in the bag, and I also considered the TSR3, my previous Titleist gamer. I showed up willing to hit everything with an open mind, and after half an hour of swings, shafts and heads it was clear the TSR4 beat the other heads on speed, spin, length and dispersion. It also easily beat my current gamer from another brand.

Head size and looks

The TSR4 is an all-titanium head of only 430cc, and the missing 30cc makes it more compact. It sets up very square behind the ball, and its tall face is ideal for me. In my opinion it looks great at address.

It might not be for everyone, but before you assume you can’t hit it, give it a try. It could be the head that fits you.

Sound, face and weighting

Many drivers use carbon, but the TSR4 sticks with all titanium, and it doesn’t lack anything for it. The driver is very fast and still sounds great. The metal crack at impact is strong and pleasant, because it isn’t muted by carbon, and it sounds pure in such a compact head.

Titleist still found a way to move the weight forward or back to change launch and spin. The Multi-Plateau Variable Face Thickness design makes for a hot, forgiving face in a compact driver.

Spin, launch and dispersion

The TSR4 is the lowest-spin head Titleist offers in the TSR line, and that suits me because I always fight spin. In the fitting I watched spin numbers fall on the launch monitor while distance rose and dispersion shrank. My average spin was about 1,960 rpm at a 12.1° launch, and the drives carried about 273 yards and rolled out another 26.

This is where assumptions can be wrong. I figured the more forgiving head would have the tightest landing circle, but it didn’t. The face on a TSR2 might be wider and keep more speed on off-center hits, yet the TSR4 gave me the most consistent flight and the tightest landing pattern. The eye test, the numbers and the course all agreed on the same head.

I loved watching drives do exactly what I wanted. They had a piercing flight, hung in the air a long time and rolled out on the fairway.

Shaft choices

The TSR4 can be ordered with virtually any shaft, and there are some stock options with no upcharge. The one I settled on was the Project X HZRDUS Black 4G, which offers low spin and low launch with good feel.

That shaft and head combination gave low spin, a flat flight and excellent total distance, and it kept the landing zone in the smallest circle.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you’re a better player who needs to cut spin, wants a compact head and loves the solid crack of titanium, but get fit first. The Titleist TSR4 Driver fit my swing better than any other head I hit, and the power it gave me off the tee impressed me. It is aimed at the better golfer, so don’t write it off until you try it.

Skip it if you want more forgiveness, because the TSR2 is the more forgiving Titleist head. Our best golf drivers guide covers the wider field.